Calville Blanc d’Hiver

Flavor: Creamy, like lemon custard; highly aromatic

Approximate Ripening: Early-mid October

Uses: Eating, cooking, baking, hard cider

Trivia: Calville Blanc d’Hiver was discovered in early 17th-century Normandy, France. Famous artist Claude Monet found beauty in this misshapen apple, so much so that he used it as the centerpiece in his work Still Life with Apples and Grapes.

Notes: An argument can be made that no apple bears a more off-putting name and look than Calville Blanc d’Hiver. For the record, it’s pronounced KAL-vil-lah BLAH-n EE-ver. And yes, this ribbed, lobbed, and spotted apple has a truly gnarly appearance. But the taste … oh, the taste! There might not be a finer desert apple in all the land. It’s the reason why, to this day, Calville Blanc d’Hiver remains the one and only apple for true French tarts. And here’s a hidden bonus to enjoying this lemon custard-like apple: it packs in an extraordinarily high amount of Vitamin C.